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Councilman Pollock outlines causes of Woodcliff Lake water emergency; Park Ridge Water to reevaluate restrictions
Summary
Councilman Pollock told the borough that early-morning telemetry showed storage tanks ‘bottoming out’ and that equipment failures plus PFOA treatment offlineing wells triggered a July 2 emergency irrigation restriction; Park Ridge Water will meet to decide whether to lift the order.
Councilman Pollock summarized why Woodcliff Lake and the Park Ridge Water Utility issued emergency water restrictions in early July, tying the decision to simultaneous equipment failures and PFOA remediation work that temporarily reduced available well capacity. He said telemetry during the recent heat wave showed system pressure falling overnight when many irrigation systems operated at once.
"If you look at the telemetry every morning at 03:00 ... the line would just bottom out. We were losing, I believe, it was 8,000 gallons a minute," Councilman Pollock said, describing the pressure loss that can trigger boil-water precautions and impair fire-hydrant service. He told the council Park Ridge Water had a motor failure at one well and several wells were offline for PFOA abatement; temporary trailer-based treatment and bids for permanent fixes were underway.
Residents had urged faster action. Leslie Maltz, a resident of Stratford Court, asked why the borough could not seek an interconnection to neighboring systems that use Veolia or American Water so the town would have an alternative supply. "Why can't we do that and get healthier water?" Maltz said, adding that new development increases demand and that residents should not be left to buy whole-house filtration.
Council members and staff said developers and applicants must demonstrate adequate water supply as part of permitting, and that Park Ridge Water must certify capacity for larger projects. Pollock said Park Ridge convened an emergency meeting and planned a follow-up session to reassess the July 2 proclamation; the borough requested Park Ridge present a public briefing in the fall to explain abatement progress and system telemetry.
Next steps: Park Ridge Water Utility will hold an emergency meeting to consider lifting the proclamation and will extend an invitation to borough officials for a public presentation, the council said. The borough will continue to monitor which wells remain offline and the timeline for permanent treatment installation.
